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Some Verizon Wireless customers are reporting something rather strange today. In an effort to curb unauthorized tethering, it appears as if Verizon Wireless has begun blocking the updates of some apps in the Android Market. The app in question (and pictured above) is Easy Tether which allows a user to share their data connection via USB. Really, this comes as no surprise. We’ve played this cat and mouse game before with our carriers and however disgruntled you may become, policy is policy. Still, it’s rather unnerving to see that yellow caution banner strewn about our once free and open Android Market. How do you guys feel about this? Should we, as customers, be able to use our data however we want? Or did we sign a contract knowing full well we’d be subject to our carrier’s iron fists?
Oh and protip: You can always turn off your data and enable WiFi to update or download these “unauthorized” apps from the Market. Ha-ha, Verizon!
[Via DroidMatters]
such bs but whatever. will just drive more people to root & load it via 3rd party
The description on EasyTether Pro has been updated:
“NOTE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS WITH VERIZON: IF YOU HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT THE FULL APP, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY AGAIN, EMAIL OUR SUPPORT AND TELL US YOUR GOOGLE ORDER NUMBER.”
Sorry for the caps, but wanted to quote directly. Once again, the Android community jumps over yet another hurdle!
Um yea not going to happen, why so they can charge you tethering fee’s. Lol for god sake
There’s a wonderful little thing called sideloading :)
This should be illegal. We buy Android devices knowing (or even because!) they have a tether function. Carriers shouldn’t be allowed to restrict what the devices we pay for can do. The fact that EasyTether is needed is already a step in the wrong direction.
You signed your contract knowing that you can’t tether without paying an addition fee.
While I agree this sucks, I don’t think people should complain about something they shouldn’t have been doing.
And while I agree they shouldn’t restrict what the device can do that I pay for. They can and should when it affects their network, Mobile networks cannot handle everyone tethering their phones.
Actually, the linux open source license states that for Verizon to use it’s software, it cannot disable features with the intent to charge for re-enabling them.
Just a matter of time before verizon gets bitch-slapped.
Would love to see Veri$on get bitch-slapped, but you know how it goes in this country — he who has the most money gets what he wants. Veri$on’s pockets are deep.
That would be nice, yes, but no. Android is not 100% opensource friendly. Also, they (Verizon) didn’t disable anything on the device – they blocked it at the carrier level, which is totally under their control.
amazon app store works fine
I purchased easy tether pro from amazon back before the root exploit was opened up for the Dinc 2.
All your wifi’s belong to us… (Verizon)
Ditto. I actually bought it at full price ($9.99) and got them to refund me $5 when it went on sale.
That’s when I got mine. Too good to resist at the time.
Yea, I happened to not buy it when it was on the deal of the day since i had a DInc1 at the time which was running CM7 which has the wireless tether built-in. Then I had a warranty issue which ended up with my getting a new DInc2 which was locked for a bit of time which happened to be right when I went camping and suddenly needed the connection for work. Anyway, Amazon to the rescue.
You will be able to root until Verizon flexes its muscles and demands that all of their phones have locked bootloaders and demand that their phones are unrootable in order to sell more iPhones. Welcome to att of 2 yrs ago.
Than you big red for taking the iphone from att’s grips. I can’t wait until sprint starts selling them as well. Hopefully that will mean more android phones for att. Hopefully that is because as of late they haven’t released anything worth a wooden nickel while sprint, tmobile, and Verizon have been releasing great phones.
Please att get with the program.
XTC Clips may make it hard for a total root block.
I’m not sure how this is a problem at all since all Verizon phones (that I know of) have the option of side-loading apps from anywhere you want outside of Google’s market. If they really wanted to stop unauthorized tethering (and lose customers like us), then they would block this like AT&T does on a lot of its phones.
I remember for years my BlackBerry’s GPS was disabled unless you paid Verizon for their VZNavigator software. It wouldn’t work with Google Maps, BlackBerry maps… only Verizon’s.
I do believe that if I pay for a device, and I own it (not leased, etc), then it should work as advertised by the manufacturer.
Pretty sure it’s actually illegal for them to disallow you to use other companies’ software. I think that falls under anti-competitive actions.
They’re not disallowing you to use the maps applications, though. They’re disallowing you to use THEIR GPS capabilities. The fact that the other products run off of that is just a convenient side-affect. Just letting you know how easy it is to get around rules.
Well I sent my email to the dev with my original order number. I am glad for that atleast. I wonder how the app he sends won’t be blocked by Verizon?
I imagine he’ll send it as an attachment via email, or a direct download via text/sms.
I am tired of cell providers capping and making us pay twice for the same data. Lack of network capacity is the cell phone company’s problem not mine. They need to increase their bandwidth instead of restricting its use. What is the point of having a smart phone to stream music and video if it is restricted. The fact is these company’s want to give us less for more money because it is easier than increasing bandwidth.
If you ever want a laugh (or maybe cry), do a Google search for Veri$on’s profits the past few years. Then search for how much their exec’s make. I’m not trying to say they shouldn’t be allowed to make money, but when they have the highest prices in the industry, nickel & dime their customers all the time, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you see how much extra cash they could be investing in more bandwidth (or giving the consumers a little break). After all, times are tough right now.
You can also install it from the Amazon AppStore. Verizon doesn’t have the power to get Amazon to budge.
Don’t be so sure, they have very deep pockets.
Well let me say this I loved verizon service and phone’s but that is very quickly going away.
What’s their to love really? They are the most expensive carrier and they bend you over every chance they get. They used to have the best coverage, but now most of the bigger carriers are pretty decent. They have a nice LTE network, but what’s the use when you can burn through 2 GB very easily? They get nice phones, but cripple them and bloat them down with junk you can’t remove unless you root. I’d much rather give my money to a smaller, up & coming carrier than support their anti-consumer policies.
Im still on unlimited ive been with verizon for over 3 years now so ill always have the unlimited data and we have unlimited tethering on the 4g phones
I hope that works out for you, but don’t be surprised if they start making customers change to the capped plans in order to get new phones. Also, they already said that unlimited 4G tethering will not be around much longer, even for grandfathered customers: http://engt.co/g7mNnQ
How will this effect anyone? I have a feeling anyone who uses an app that could be considered “unauthorized” would also be rooted, and therefore, be able to download from wherever they please.
That being said… Suck it verizon!
Policy or not, I pay for unlimited data, period. How I use it is my business NOT Verizon’s. I believe a comparison is in order. When broadband Internet was new, cable companies tried to ban the use of home router claiming you were stealing from them if you used more that one computer per account. Now we realize that was a bunch a bull and long gone. That is obviously exactly the same as using my phone (computer 1) with easytether (router) with my laptop (computer 2). Blow me Verizon!
Ditto to that! It should be only a matter of time before the networks wake up. We REALLY need stronger networks.
Haha American carriers suck so much.
Sad but true when you realize what the average monthly wireless bill is around the world.
I’m not against being able to use data however you want but I do say that when joining a service you agree to abide their terms regardless of how absurd you may find it, if you don’t like their terms than why agree to them?
Check this out:
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/cL7VyfSxtQY/FCC-Finalizes-US-Net-Neutrality-Rules
This would make this practice unlawful, right?
I’m with Tmobile and 4G WiFi tether is free!
if your grandfathered in they don’t slow down your phone yay for free internet for the whole house
i think the best option unlock t mobile phone get a simple mobile sim card $60 a month unlimited everything no restrictions runs on t mobiles “4g” network plus t mobile phones with 2.2 or later offer built in WiFi tethering